Mount Saint Helens
Mount Saint Helens (also known as Mount St. Helens or Louwala-Clough) is a currently dormant volcano located in the Pacific Northwest. Although the volcano has not erupted for more than two hundred years, the people of Cascadia have remained cautious about Mount St. Helens due to some bygone memory of its destructive powers. The lone exception to this has been Heinrich who has been living in the pre-War radio station on the slopes of the mountain for the last thirty years. Heinrich's presence and his shadow have only added to the infamy of Mount St. Helens. In the pre-War times, Mount St. Helens was at first known for its beauty rather than its destructiveness. When it was discovered by Europeans who were exploring the area, they marveled at its symmetrical appearance and gave it the nickname "Mount Fuji of America". However, this distinctive shape was only formed after centuries of inactivity and that would change as time marched on. Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, shocking the world. The eruption would be the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States. Fifty-seven people were killed; two hundred fifty homes, forty-seven bridges, fifteen miles of railways, and one hundred eighty-five miles of highway were destroyed. Hundreds of people were forced to flee the area as lava and ash fell over the immediate area. The effects of the eruption were felt for decades to come. In the following years, the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was created to preserve the volcano and allow for its aftermath to be scientifically studied by scientists. The late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries' were an active period for volcanic activity in Mount St. Helens, but activity had begun to die down by the 2020s. As time went on, humanity began creeping back towards the mountain. The most notable example of this was a radio station established on the slopes of Mount St. Helens in 2065. This radio station would serve as a potential early-warning system for both another volcanic eruption or a nuclear attack. The radio station would serve its purpose on October 23, 2077 when it warned the people of the immediate area about approaching Chinese nuclear bombers and missiles. Subsequently, the radio station would be abandoned by its broadcasters and leave Mount St. Helens devoid of humanity for a year or so. That was until a member of the United States Forest Service named Greg Childers took refuge in the radio station near Mount St. Helens, wanting some sanctuary away from radiation and roaming gangs. Childers hid in the radio station for years until a young woman came wandering up the slopes of Mount St. Helens in 2085. One things led to another and both Childers and the woman killed each other. For the next hundred years or so, Mount St. Helens would remain uninhabited. That was until Oregon tribals migrated into the area in the 2180s. The tribals were vaguely aware of Mount St. Helens's history as a volcano but dared to lived in its shadow regardless. This tribe eventually became known as the Fire Mountain Tribe, and they flourished in the isolation Mount St. Helens provided. The outside world provided a few intrusions when super mutants fled through the area in the aftermath of the death of the Master and when the Sons of Liberty strayed near the mountain. However, all in all the tribe remained remarkably prosperous until the middle of twenty-thired century with the arrival of their doom. Heinrich was a New Order footsoldier who had made a close escape from his group's destruction in Seattle due to their white supremacist ideology. Initially together with a small group of survivors, Heinrich was alone by the time he made it to Mount St. Helens. He arrived in 2248 and quickly set himself up in the old radio station, which the nearby tribals had avoided due to superstition. Heinrich eventually figured out how to restart the radio station's broadcasting capabilities, and he has been broadcasting his prejudiced opinions ever since. The Fire Mountain Tribe were not happy with Heinrich's presence on Mount St. Helens, but it was soon to find how firmly entrenched Heinrich was. After being attacked numerous times, Heinrich responded by killing tens of tribals and capturing one of their women to make his "wife". The 2250s were a decade of resistance for the tribals, but by the early 2260s, the Fire Mountain Tribe had lost their fighting spirit and decided it was time to move, not only because of Heinrich but also because of advancing civilization. Currently, Mount St. Helens's lone resident remains Heinrich though he does occasionally get visitors. His radio station The Mouth of Mount Saint Helens has put the mountain back on the map, and many caravaners use the mountain as a point of reference in Cascadia. In general, Mount St. Helens is still given a wide berth by most people either for it being a volcano or Heinrich's home. Category:Places Category:Cascadia